§ MR. MITCHELL-THOMSONI beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether the warders and prison staff of Barlinnie 408 prison have received any extra remuneration in view of the additional work entailed by the overcrowding of the prison; and if not, whether he will consider the possibility of granting such remuneration.
§ THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Mr. SINCLAIR, Forfarshire)There is no authority to grant extra pay for the duty referred to, but extra leave of absence has been given in recognition of the services thus rendered.
§ MR. MITCHELL-THOMSONI beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether on the 6th, 18th, 19th, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, and 28th September last, all the single cells in Barlinnie prison were filled, and in consequence prisoners were associated on those dates; whether on the 25th and 26th of September, 1,103 and 1,106 prisoners were confined there; whether these numbers are, respectively, twenty-four and twenty-seven in excess of the total number that can be accommodated in all cells, including the hospital ward; and whether on these dates, there was accommodation available for prisoners in the ordinary cells of Perth prison, as follows, viz., 6th September, 279 empty cells; 18th September, 297; 19th September, 294; 24th September, 299; 25th September, 299; 26th September, 301; 27th September, 307; and if so, why prisoners were overcrowded in Barlinnie, when accommodation was available at Perth.
§ MR. SINCLAIRThe facts are as stated. The numbers of prisoners admitted to Barlinnie Prison during the period referred to were abnormally high and quite unexpected. They often arrived too late in the evening for transfer to Perth. It may be, however, noted that 220 prisoners were transferred from Barlinnie in the months of July and September, almost the whole of them to Perth, so as to prevent overcrowding.
§ MR. MITCHELL-THOMSONI beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland on how many days since 31st December, 1905, more prisoners have been confined in Barlinnie than the total number for which there is accommodation in all cells, including the hospital ward; on how many days during the same period prisoners have been associated there; 409 and on how many of these days there was not sufficient room in the ordinary cells of Perth Prison to have avoided the necessity of associating prisoners in Barlinnie.
§ MR. SINCLAIRThe Answer is to the first part of the Question, on eleven days, to the second on forty-five days, and to the third on none.